Road marker



all

will

Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

UNITED STATES GEORGE W. BETTES, OF SPARTA, MICHIGAN.

ROAD MARKER.

Application filed May 8,

This invention relates to road markers, particularly to those adapted to apply trailic marks to the surface of cement or other hard surfaced roads. It is becoming customary to mark the highways with a'white stripe extending along the center of the road for the purpose of defining the right and left side to direct the trafiic thereon and also to mark street intersections and parking spaces with white lines on the road in various Ways.

It is the object of this invention to provide a device which will carry a considerable quantity of the aint used for marking and to apply this paint in a smooth and well de fined markupon the road. The device is adapted to be attached to an automobile or other vehicle by which it may be drawn to traverse the road for marking long stretches which often extend several miles and the de- .vice may also be used as a hand propelled marker for marking short lines such as those used at street intersections, parkmg spaces, etc.

The device is provided with means for evenly distributing the paint upon the'roller which transfers it to the road surface, 1t has means for regulating the quantity of paint applied, the transfer roller is adapted to be raised from contact with the road surface whereby the device is made inoperative, the structure is so arranged that it may be easily disassembled for cleaning and various novel features of construction and} arrangements are provided as will more fully appear after a thorough understanding of the invention 15 had from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1, is a side elevation of the device embodying this invention.

Fig. 2, is a fragmentary elevation v ewed from the opposite side SllOWlIlg' details of construction, rincipally the feed pump driving means.

Fig. 3, is a sectional taken on the line 3-3 of i Fig. 4, is an enlarged fragmentar elevation of parts of the transfer rol er, and spreading roller also showing the paint feedin nozzle.

llig. 5, is a transverse fragmentary section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and Flg. 6 is a reduced elevation of a modified form of structureillustrating the device adapted plan of the device 1924. Serial No. 711,784.

to be hand propelled for applying short marks on the road. I

Like reference numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures. This device is intended to be mounted for operation at the side of an automobile adjacent one of therunning boards 1 thereof. A bar 2 is attached to the running board and to the frame of the automobile extends beyond the running board and has brackets 3 to which the frame of the marker is pivotally attached. The marker has a frame composed of the horizontal bars 4, the vertical bars 5 and the brace 6, these being joined together by cross bars 7. The paint transfer roller 8 and the spreading roller 9 are mounted upon and between two spaced apart horizontal bars 4:. The transferroller rotates upon a fixed axle 10 and the spreading roller has an axle 11 journaled lIll sliding boxes 12 which are moved toward the transfer roller by the tension springs 13. The springs 13 are attached to the boxes 12 at one 'end to adjustable hooks 14: at the other end. Theshanks of the hook are screw threaded and passthrough brackets 15 and are provided with nuts 16 by means of which the tension of the springs 13 may be regulated. A paint reservoir 17 is mounted at the upper part in the'frame of the device and has an outlet valve 18 in its bottom from which a hose 19 leads to a pump 20. The pump 20 is preferably of the type known as a gear ump and is fastened to a bracket 21 extendmglfrom the frame member 5 and the driving shaft of the pump is provided with a pinion 22 which meshes with and is driven by a gear 23 attached to the transfer roller 8. A hose 24 leading from the outlet of the pump communicates with the paint feeding nozzle 25 which is located between the rollers 8 and 9 directly above the contact point of these rollers and has an opening 26 in its lower side through which the pamt flows onto the rollers. The nozzle is supported by brackets 27 which extend upward from the horizontal bars 4: of the frame..-

The periphery of the paint transfer rollers roe with rubber or some impervious material 9 which will not absorb the paint and which rotates in engagement with the felt covering of the transfer roller. The widthof the felt covering of the transfer roller is made the same as the width of the line or mark desired onhthe road and the rubber covering of the spreading roller is the same w 1dth.

The device is pivotally connected at its front end with the brackets 3 by the bolt 28 and in operative position its reanend is supported by the transfer roller which engages the road. Pulleys and rope commonly known as block and tackle 29 are attached to the rear end of the frame and also to some convenient portion of the automobile and may be manually operated to ralse the transfer roller from the road which makes the device inoperative.

In operation the automoblle with the marker attached thereto as described, is driven along the road with the transfer roller in engagement with the surface thereof, and rotated by its contact with the road, and as the roller turns the gear 23 attached thereto 'meshing with the pinion 2 2 drlves the feed pump 20 which takes paint from the reservoir 17 through the valve 18 and hose 19 and delivers the paint through the" hose 24 to the feed jet 25. Since the pump is driven by the transfer roller its speed will be in direct proportion to that of the roller and consequently the amountof paint delivered by the pump to the feed nozzle will also be in direct proportion to the speed of the roller. The paint is delivered from the feeding nozzle through the opening 26 and deposited upon the transfer roller and spreading roller near their point of contact and the pressure of the spreading roller against the felt surface of feeding roller evenly distributes the paint over the felt surface and forces it into the absorbent felt from which it is applied upon the road surfacevas the roller traverses the same. The tension springs 13 which hold the spreading roller into engagement with the transfer rollers are adjusted so that the spreading roller presses against the transfer roller with the proper tension to properly distribute the paint. The valve 18 may be used to stop the flow of paint entirely from-the reservoir or to regulate the amount which will be admitted to the pump. I

When the device is not to be operated the transfer roller 8 is raised from the road by the block and tackle 29 or by such other means as may be substituted for the" block and tackle, and this makes the device inoperative as the roller will not rotate and the pump will not operate and consequently no paint will flow from the-reservoir.

"The modified structure shown in Figure 6 which is intended for manual operation cliffers from the above described device only in the addition of the front wheels 30, the standard 31 and the handles 32. When this device is operated it is preferably rolled and supported entirely upon the transfer roller, the front wheels 30 being raised from the road. The device may be inoperative by raising the transfer roller from the road and supporting the device upon'the front wheels 30 upon which it may be moved from place to place. The standard 31 which is pivotally attached to the frame may be swung downward to support the device with the transfer roller 2. A road marker comprising a frame adapted to be pivotally connected'at its forward end and" we vehicle, a transfer roller mounted near the rear of said frame and adapted to be rotatedby frictional engagement with the surface of the road, a spreadmg roller mounted on theframe and adapted to be rota ted by frictional engagement with the transfer roller, means actuated by rotation of the transfer roller for feeding paint to the periphery of the transfer roller and means for lifting the rear end of the frame whereby the transfer roller is raised from engagement with the road.

3. A road marker comprising a frame adapted to be pivotally connected to a vehicle, a transfer roller mounted on the frame and adapted to be-rotated by frictional engagement with the road, a pump driven by the transfer roller, means for supplying pa nt to the pump, means for delivering paint from the pump to the periphery of the transfer roller and means for lifting the frame to raise the transfer roller from engagement With the road.

4. A road marker comprising a frame adapted to be pivotally connected to a vehicle, a transfer roller mounted on the frame and adapted. to be rotated by frictional engagement with the road, a spreading roller to engage the periphery of the transfer roller, a ustable means for exerting spring pressure against the journals of the spreadmg roller to press 'it against the transfer roller, a feeding nozzle located above the point of contact between the two rollers, a pump actuated by the transfer roller, a paint reservoir mounted on the frame, a

.slidably mounted on the frame and adapted having supporting wheels at its forward end, a transfer roller mounted near the rear of the frame and adapted to roll upon the surface of the road, a pump actuated by rotation of the transfer roller, a spreading roller mounted on the frame and held into frictional engagement with the transfer roller, a feeding nozzle over the transfer roller, a reservoir mounted on the frame, a hose connectingthe'reservoir with the inlet of the pump and a hose connecting the outlet of the pump with the nozzle.

6. A road marker comprising a roller adapted to engage the road surface and to be rolled over the same, a pump actuated by rotation of the roller as it is rolled over the road, means for supplying paint to the pump, and means for depositing the paint passed by the pump to the periphery of the roller.

7. A road marker comprising a roller adapted to engage the road surface and to be rolled over the same, a pump actuated by rotation of the roller and at a speed in direct ratio to the speed of the roller as it i! rolled over the road, means for supplying paint to the pump, and means for depositing the paint passed by the pump to the periphery of the roller.

8. A road marker comprising a roller having its periphery covered with absorbent material adapted to engage the road surface and to be rolled over the same, a pump actuated by rotation of the roller as it is rolled over the road, means forsupplying paint to the pump, and means for depositing the paint passed by the pump to the periphery of the roller.

9. A road marker comprising a roller adapted to be rolled over the surface of a road, a spreading roller held in frictional engagement vwith the first roller, a pump actuated by rotation of the first roller, means for supplying paint to the pump, and means for depositing the paint passed by the pump upon the peripheries of the rollers near their point of contact.

10. A road marker comprising a frame, a support for the forward end of the frame adapted to be moved over a road surface, a paint reservoir mounted on the frame, a transfer roller detachably mounted near the rear end of the frame and adapted to roll over the road surface, a spreading roller mounted on the frame and held into frictional engagement with the transfer roller, a pump fixed to the frame, gears on the pump and transfer roller meshing together whereby the pump is actuated by rotation of said transfer roller, a nozzle over the point of contact between the transfer roller and the spreading roller, means for conducting paint from the reservoir to the pump, and means for conducting paint passed by the pump to the nozzle.

11. A road marker comprising a roller adapted to be rolled over the surface of a road, a spreading rollermounted ahead of the first roller and held into frictional engagement therewith, a pump actuated by rotation of the first roller, means for supplying paint to the pump and means for depositing paint passed by the pump upon the peripheries of the rollers above'their point of contact.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE W. BETTES. 

